


Like Shattered Glass

by BlackIris



Series: Shards of Hope [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Crying, F/M, Steve is a big sweetheart, Swearing, and a damn plot bunny generator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 09:49:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13499482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackIris/pseuds/BlackIris
Summary: Steve’s phone pings with a simple request from one he holds dear, what is he to do but respond?





	Like Shattered Glass

**Author's Note:**

> I woke up with the beginning of this in my head this morning. And the rest kinda came out in a weird rush of.. feels. Enjoy, unbeta’d.

DL – Hey are you free? 

SR – Yes. What’s up? 

DL – Could you come over? Please.

DL – Door’s unlocked.

SR – I’m on my way. 

DL – And keep your shoes on.

SR – Darcy are you alright? 

DL – I’m fine Steve, I promise. I swear on your shiny shield. 

\-----

Steve practically runs to Darcy’s apartment. When he reaches it, the door isn’t only unlocked, it’s open. The panic he had held down on the way over begins to rise. 

“Darce?” He yells out, against his better judgement, his voice echoing through the small apartment, easily giving away his location. 

“In the kitchen! Keep your shoes on!” Comes her uneven reply.

“Why do I need to keep my sho- shit what happened?” 

He makes his way through the living room and into the kitchen and stopping when he hears and then sees what is crunching under his boots.  
Shards of broken glass and ceramic litter the floor. 

Darcy sits on top of the kitchen island with tear streaked cheeks, trying to smile at Steve. 

“Hey,” she says weekly. 

“Darce, what happened?” He moves to stand in front of her, reaching out holding her face, making her look at him. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m not hurt, I told you I’m fine.” She sniffles, trying to hold back fresh tears. 

“Darce..”

“It was Ian. He.. he..” 

“What happened? What did he do?” He searches her eyes, her gaze breaking his heart as he only finds sorrow within them. 

“He cheated, so I threw him out.. And then I threw a dish or two. And then, and then I got stuck. I didn’t know what to do… so I texted you… and now..” Her words brake down as she starts to sob.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay now. I’m here.” He easily wraps his arms around her, pulling her to his chest; carding his fingers into her hair as he rocks her lightly. “It’s okay, let it out.” 

Neither of them know how long they stay like that, wrapped in each other’s embrace. 

As Darcy’s shaking dissipates, as her sobs become breathless whispers, Steve places several small kisses to her crown. 

It brakes his heart to see her like this. He’d fight you before he ever admitted it, but he’s always wanted her. He lusted for her when he first saw her; brown flowing curls, plush lips, endless curves. He fell in love with her shortly after meeting her; the more he talked with her, learned to know her soul, her sass, her fears. She was the strong one, for being so frail and open. It brakes his heart to know that he can’t make her pain go away with a toss of his shield, or a commanding strategy yelled through an ear piece. His strengths are now as useless as the continually breaking shards under his soles. 

He’s loved her for so long, the words were no longer just words to him. He couldn’t say it in a conventional way, a casual way, or even a sarcastic way. She stole that ability from him when she stole his heart. He had tried so many times in the past and always failed. One of the three things he couldn’t seem to do. He tried, oh he tried, to say his peace, to rip open his chest and present her with her prize: his heart. 

But he couldn’t. The words sticking his throat like an overzealous bite, choked down without water. So, he moved to do what he could. Small things, thoughtful things, things only she would notice, profit from. When he was around, things fell more into place for her. Whether she knew it or not. It was his mission, nothing was too big to him, if only he could make her smile, even if just a little. Her favorite tea and coffee never ran out. Tony’s bots were more helpful and even had preference for her. Her favorite flowers always showed up on her worst days. Whenever she fell asleep on one of the couches in the common room or at the work bench in the labs, Thor would conveniently be sent into the room for something or another, only to take her to a spare bedroom for the time being. These things and so much more were all Steve. His little ways of saying those three words he wanted to scream to the world but couldn’t even whisper. 

Now with her in his arms, he wanted to say it more than ever. Wanted to tell her how much and how long he’s loved her. How he would give his every breath to her if he could. A slight trembled rippled through him as the thoughts processed in his mind. Could he say it now? Now that she was free. Now that she was breaking. Now that there was no one else in her life. Was it too soon? Was it too late? 

“Fuck, Darce. What can I do?” He whispers into her hair, wishing to never let her go again. 

“Um..” Her breath hitches. “Could you take me to my room? I don’t want to let go, but, but I need a moment.” Her hands fist tighter into his shirt, cracking his heart open that much more for her. 

“Can I do anything else? I need to make this better. I just..” 

“Steve.. you don’t have to. It’s not yours to make right.” 

He nods weakly, picking her up off the counter, holding her close, savoring the close proximity to her. He walks her to her door, sighing he puts her down at the threshold. 

“I shouldn’t go any farther. Don’t want to track more glass..” He says weakly, looking down, not making eye contact. 

“Thank you.” Darcy reaches up, going on her tiptoes, kissing his cheek. His eyes flutter closed. She lingers, possibly, a moment too long. Not that Steve truly notices. To him all of time and space stop in their natural rotation as her lips touch his skin. 

When he opens his eyes again, she’s gone, almost like a ghost. He breathes in harshly, realizing he held his breath without meaning to. 

The bathroom door is shut, light filtering through the crack at the bottom. 

He nods to himself and moves back to the kitchen. Taking the broom and vacuum from the hall closet on his way. He quickly has the small kitchen and hallway clean and free of glass. 

Getting lost in his thoughts, he leans against the counter, staring at nothing in particular, and waits for Darcy to return. 

Darcy makes her way back to the kitchen shortly after she hears the vacuum shut off. Smiling to herself because of course Steve would take care of this. He always takes care of her. 

She mimics his pose, not wanting to disturb him or the silence just yet. 

“You know, he said he wasn’t sorry.” Darcy let out after a beat or two.

“What?” He blinks hard trying to comprehend the simple sentence she just spoke. 

She nods, “Yeah, said he wasn’t sorry he got caught. He wasn’t sorry. He thought, thought it was okay cuz he thought, well he thought something was happening that wasn’t.” 

Steve turns to her, and asks, “What did he think was happening?” 

“He thought.. you and I..” Darcy looks up to him, her eyes fall on his lips momentarily before looking away. 

“That’s no reason to do what he did to you. There’s no reason for that. He really doesn’t deserve you. Fuck he’s lucky you threw him out before I found out.. Darce, I swear..” 

“Steve..” 

Steve drops his head at her tone. He has so many emotions pumping through his body, he feels as though he might explode. 

“I know you’re not mine,” he swallows harshly, keeping his head down, “to protect. But damnit Darce, I hate seeing you like this. It’s breaking my heart.” He whispers the last part, barely able to say it, acknowledge it out loud. 

A single tear makes its way down Darcy’s cheek as she takes him in. She’s known. She’s known so long, and yet been so blind. Not wanting to give light to her greatest hope. Fearing it would grow without returned love to keep it growing, keep it alive. 

“Just.. just give me time.” 

Darcy moves closer to him slowly. She lifts his arm closest to her and tucks herself under it, wrapping her arms around his slim waist. Nuzzling into his chest she let out a shaky sigh as his arms wrap around her again. 

He’d give her time. He’d give her time itself and the whole world if only he physically could. He’d give her anything to make her smile again.


End file.
